The present invention relates to a physical training apparatus and method for training persons such as athletes or physical therapy patients to improve various motor skills. The present invention further relates to a physical training apparatus and method for training specialized athletes such as golfers and baseball players who rely on generating power by rotation of the hips and torso. More particularly, it relates to a physical training apparatus and method for providing forces of either constant or varying magnitude opposing the motion of a single or multiple points on the body of a trainee while performing slow or high speed movements.
Physical training and conditioning have long been recognized as desirable for improving various motor skills to thereby improve the performance of an athlete, the rehabilitation of a physical therapy patient, or the overall physical well-being of the trainee. Training with resistance while performing specific movements with the body has been found to be very effective in improving various physical abilities such as functional strength, running speed, first-step quickness, jumping ability, and kicking ability. Such resistance training is increasingly becoming favored over training with heavy weights using slow non-sports specific motions.
For example, if an athlete wants to run faster it has been found to be more beneficial to apply light resistance to the leg muscles while running than by performing a press with the legs with heavy weights. Both of these training methods will strengthen the leg muscles of the athlete, however, the high-speed training by providing light resistance while running allows the athlete to generate more power at high speeds since the muscle is conditioned with resistance at high speeds. Training the muscles using slow movement with resistance promotes power generation at slow speeds since the muscle is conditioned at slow speeds. Both training methods are important to most athletes. However, for athletic performance optimization at high speeds the muscles must be physically and neurologically trained at high speeds. The term “training vector” as used herein shall mean a force opposing the motion of a portion of a trainee through a predetermined range of motion. The magnitude and direction of a training vector may be relatively constant or may vary through the predetermined range of motion.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,968,028 and 4,863,163 entitled “Vertical Jump Exercise Apparatus” issued to the inventor of the present disclosure each disclose resistance training apparatus for vertical jump training and conditioning. The prior art system disclosed in the Wehrell patents applies two training vectors having relatively constant magnitude to the hips of the trainee for applying resistance to the legs while performing a jumping motion.
A later modification of the exercise apparatus disclosed in the Wehrell patents provided relatively constant resistance to the back of the knees of a trainee performing a running motion by attaching the elastic members of the exercise apparatus to detachable leg harnesses worn by the trainee. This embodiment provided resistance for training the hip flexors of the trainee at high speeds.
Similarly, if an athlete wants to generate more power by rotation of the hips and torso, it will be beneficial to apply light resistance to the rotation of the hips and torso as the athlete performs a specific athletic movement such as swinging a golf club or a baseball/softball bat. Such rotational training of the hips and torso may be beneficial to other athletes such as soccer players, place kickers, track and field athletes, tennis players, and athletes of other racket sports.
Many sports related movements involve multiple muscle groups moving multiple body parts simultaneously to perform the specific movement. For example, when an athlete jumps he or she uses the legs, back and arms simultaneously. To optimize training for a particular movement it is beneficial to train using a natural jumping motion while applying resistance to the legs, back, arms and other body portions simultaneously. Such an exercise method would be more effective than methods where resistance is only applied to the legs because it allows major muscle groups used in jumping to be fired in the proper neurological sequence with applied resistance.
While it is possible in the prior art exercise apparatus described in the Wehrell patents to apply training vectors to a trainee performing a running motion, there remains a need for a physical training apparatus that applies training vectors to the hands, legs, back and other points on the trainee's body for providing resistance to multiple muscle groups while performing complex sports specific movements.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to obviate many of the deficiencies in the prior art and to provide a novel physical training apparatus and method.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel physical training apparatus comprising means for providing at least eight training vectors to a trainee.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a novel physical training apparatus comprising a plurality of means for providing training vectors to a trainee wherein the origin of one or more training vectors is variable in a first and a second dimension and the origin of one or more of the other training vectors is variable in either said first or second dimension and a third dimension normal to said first and second dimensions.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel physical training apparatus comprising a plurality of means for providing training vectors to a trainee wherein the training vectors originate from at least three elevations.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a novel physical training apparatus comprising one or more means for providing a training vector to a trainee and a means to support at least a portion of the trainee's body weight.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide physical training apparatus comprising a base forming a training area, one or more harnesses each adapted to be worn by a trainee training in said training area, at least one elastic member attached to each harness for providing a force opposing the motion of the harness in a predetermined range of motion, said elastic members having a length whereby the force varies substantially linearly over said predetermined range. The apparatus further comprises an elongated tracking mechanism attached to said base for directing each of said elastic members out of said training area, at least one tracking mechanism being substantially horizontal and at least one tracking mechanism being substantially vertical.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel physical training apparatus comprising a base forming a training surface, a plurality of means for providing training vectors to a trainee training on said training surface, said means being attached to said base and comprising an elastic member and tracking members for directing said elastic member from a vector origin location near the training surface to an anchor location. The apparatus further comprises a plurality of means for providing training vectors to a trainee training on said training surface, said means being attached to said base and comprising an elastic member and tracking members for directing said elastic member from a vector origin location elevated from the training surface to an anchor location.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a novel device with the ability to apply rotational torque to the upper torso or combination of waist and upper torso using resistance members attached to the shoulders, arms, chest, waist or other parts of the body.
One object of the present invention may provide a novel device that applies a balanced torque to the upper body of a user when standing in the erect position. The direction of the torque in such an embodiment may be set and applied in the clockwise or counter clockwise direction based on the attachment position of the resistance members.
Another object of the present invention may allow a user of certain embodiments described herein to bend over while torque is applied to the upper body (and waist if desired) without creating a force opposing or aiding the bending motion. This may be accomplished by the mechanical assemblies' ability to automatically track a user's upper torso (shoulder position movement) throughout the bending motion and automatically reposition the origin of the resistance elements so they follow the shoulder or torso movement.
An additional object of the present invention may provide a novel device that applies torque to the upper torso in a plane parallel to the ground and perpendicular to the spine at shoulder level when the user is standing in the erect position. When the user bends over the apparatus has the ability to automatically shift the plane of applied torque keeping it perpendicular to the spine at shoulder level at all times.
These and many other objects and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art to which the invention pertains from a perusal of the claims, the appended drawings, and the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments.